Supposing
By Carl S ~
Let’s suppose you know what evangelicals and fundamentalists are thinking. Even then, individuals can surprise you, as anyone would be surprised when finding someone acting “unlike himself.” You would expect a person who preaches morality to you will recognize its opposite and reject it. On the other hand, you may personally have a suspicion of what one writer called “a neurotic appetite for lies” involved when that person unthinkingly chooses what is blatantly opposed to what he alleges to believe. Evidently, such people make such exemptions by obeying “authorities” they trust to know better. So, a group-think mentality, shepherded by these authorities, replaces personal conscience and responsibility. This overrides moral considerations. Now, all of this sounds dry and academic - until it becomes active. (Consider the Third Reich.) Let's take it from here...
Now, evangelicals and fundamentalists have elected their man. Let's suppose they expect he'll advance their desire to dominate government decision-making for their advantage. This expectation is to them, very promising: after all, their proclaimed superior “faith” is just another word for “hope,” and it's hopeful expectations they're buying from him. They’re hoping their man will reverse legislation their authority-spokesmen have been opposing for decades, for one thing. They're also hoping he will make this nation “Christian, truly under God.” They're scared of and can't handle the social advances made over the last decade. They have a neurotic appetite to accept lies.
Now, they’ve succeeded, and they're preparing to congratulate themselves with hopes: No more abortions (although Christians have the most abortions), imprisonment for miscarriages, and more success in tearing down the wall separating church from state. Hopefully, they expect unopposed government support for sectarian schools. Hopefully, government will back-burner the “rights” women have been seeking, which they believe are incompatible with the will of God for women.
This “Christian” nation will engage in one final major war, with its “Onward Christian soldiers” and Israeli soldiers battling “infidel” Islamic fighters.Let us suppose their choice is not the person they believe he is. This makes perfect sense. After all, they have faith, and unquestioning faith is a habit not easily put aside. The faith of Christians is founded on hearsay and blind trust, as opposed to reasoning and questioning. Faith-matters, defined by one believer as, “too deep for my understanding,” are left to the apologists and clergy, who are believed in, also, as a matter of faith, a.k.a., hope and trust. But if the hope-purveying trusted ones are deceived, so are their followers. They can all become stuck in the fly-paper of irrational beliefs. They're also stuck with their choice. What, really, is this man's game? Does he secretly despise them, and has only used them to gain power, and will thwart their goals? Nobody knows the answers to these questions, but it's possible.
Christians who buy into the imminent End Times, who equated the departing president with the Anti-Christ, may find themselves rethinking their choice. Suppose their choice is the actual Anti-Christ? They'd better re-read Revelations, since he has the forewarned qualifications of deceiver, liar, divider of nations, as well as his own, and is a divider within Christianity itself.
This is the ultimate hoped-for future of Christianity and Islam: This “Christian” nation will engage in one final major war, with its “Onward Christian soldiers” and Israeli soldiers battling “infidel” Islamic fighters. Then, Israel will accept Christ, and when nuclear weapons are employed, the real End Times will come and our world will be completely destroyed. Then, they the faith-filled will be “enraptured” into their heavenly kingdom. (Note: Many will be happy to see them depart, under any circumstances.) Hopefully, their chosen national leader will vastly disappointment them. Those of us who care hope he fails to live up to all their hopes – for humanity's sake.
Now, evangelicals and fundamentalists have elected their man. Let's suppose they expect he'll advance their desire to dominate government decision-making for their advantage. This expectation is to them, very promising: after all, their proclaimed superior “faith” is just another word for “hope,” and it's hopeful expectations they're buying from him. They’re hoping their man will reverse legislation their authority-spokesmen have been opposing for decades, for one thing. They're also hoping he will make this nation “Christian, truly under God.” They're scared of and can't handle the social advances made over the last decade. They have a neurotic appetite to accept lies.
Now, they’ve succeeded, and they're preparing to congratulate themselves with hopes: No more abortions (although Christians have the most abortions), imprisonment for miscarriages, and more success in tearing down the wall separating church from state. Hopefully, they expect unopposed government support for sectarian schools. Hopefully, government will back-burner the “rights” women have been seeking, which they believe are incompatible with the will of God for women.
This “Christian” nation will engage in one final major war, with its “Onward Christian soldiers” and Israeli soldiers battling “infidel” Islamic fighters.Let us suppose their choice is not the person they believe he is. This makes perfect sense. After all, they have faith, and unquestioning faith is a habit not easily put aside. The faith of Christians is founded on hearsay and blind trust, as opposed to reasoning and questioning. Faith-matters, defined by one believer as, “too deep for my understanding,” are left to the apologists and clergy, who are believed in, also, as a matter of faith, a.k.a., hope and trust. But if the hope-purveying trusted ones are deceived, so are their followers. They can all become stuck in the fly-paper of irrational beliefs. They're also stuck with their choice. What, really, is this man's game? Does he secretly despise them, and has only used them to gain power, and will thwart their goals? Nobody knows the answers to these questions, but it's possible.
Christians who buy into the imminent End Times, who equated the departing president with the Anti-Christ, may find themselves rethinking their choice. Suppose their choice is the actual Anti-Christ? They'd better re-read Revelations, since he has the forewarned qualifications of deceiver, liar, divider of nations, as well as his own, and is a divider within Christianity itself.
This is the ultimate hoped-for future of Christianity and Islam: This “Christian” nation will engage in one final major war, with its “Onward Christian soldiers” and Israeli soldiers battling “infidel” Islamic fighters. Then, Israel will accept Christ, and when nuclear weapons are employed, the real End Times will come and our world will be completely destroyed. Then, they the faith-filled will be “enraptured” into their heavenly kingdom. (Note: Many will be happy to see them depart, under any circumstances.) Hopefully, their chosen national leader will vastly disappointment them. Those of us who care hope he fails to live up to all their hopes – for humanity's sake.